Tennis racket press cover



Feb. 26, 1963 L. F. BAUKNEY TENNIS RACKET PRESS COVER Filed Feb. 5, 1962FIG.1

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TENNIS RACKET PRESS COVER Filed Feb. 5, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR IUCILLE F BAUKNEY BY MI@- 17 y ATTORNEY 3,079,156 TENNES RACKET PRESSCOVER Lucille F. Baukney, 1524i NE. 40th Court,

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Filed Feb. 5, 1962, Ser. No. 170,928 Claims. (Cl.273-74) This invention relates to a combined cover and press for tennisrackets or similar articles of such nature as will protect the head of atennis racket against the elements and to also maintain the frame of thetennis racket against warping.

The invention contemplates a molded plastic cover that is shaped in topplan to conform to the general oval shape of the head of a tennis racketand with the cover being formed of relatively still plastic that willavoid ilexing and that will maintain the head of the tennis racket in anormal flat condition. The cover embodies upper and lower fiat Wallsthat are partially connected by a connecting vertical wall and with apart of the vertical wall being omitted to form an opening for theinsertion of the head of the racket and with a slide device that isadapted to close the opening after the racket has been inserted.

Novel features of construction and operation of the device will be moreclearly apparent during the course of the following description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein has beenillustrated a preferred form ofthe invention and wherein like charactersof ref-l erence are employed to denote like parts throughout the severaliigures.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top pian view of the cover and associated partsillustrating the manner of inserting the head of the tennis rackettherein,

FIGURE 2 is an edge view of the cover with a closure slide in the openposition,

FIGURE 3 is an end View of the covertaken from the left end of theillustration in FIGURE l,

FIGURE 4 is a transverse section taken substantially on line 4 4. ofFIGURE 1,

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal section on line 5-5 of FIGURE l,

FlGURE 6 is a horizontal section taken substantially on line 6 6 ofFIGURE 2 with the tennis racket being shown in dotted lines,

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary section through one edge of the cover with aclosure slide omitted, and

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of a slide evice adapted tocover and uncover the opening of the device.

Referring specifically to the drawings, there has been illustrated atennis racket cover and press of generally oval shape in top plan, shownas a whole by the numeral 5. The cover 5 embodies ilat parallel upperand lower plates 6, that are connected for the major circumference ofthe device by a wall'7. The cover terminates at one end in a reducedthroat extension The wall 7 extends from one side of the throat 8 aroundthe circumference of the cover and terminates at a point 9, providing arelatively large opening 10 for the insertion of the head portion 1l ofa tennis racket of conventional construction, having the usual handle12. The plates 6 and the walls 7 are integrally molded to form arelatively still cover for the tennis racket head ll and with the handle12 being disposed within the throat 8 after the racket has been fullyinserted into the cover. The major portion of the device, conforming tothe curvature of the cover and the opening l0 is provided with upper andlower integral flanges 13, that project above the outer surfaces of thecover 6 a predetermined distance and with the ilanges upon the innerside having diagonal grooves 14. The anges 13 may be partial, asindicated in FIGURE 1 or,

taken substantially 3,79,l55 Patented Feb. 26, 1963 the flanges may beco-extensive with the cover to terminate'at-the end'sioffthe throat 8.However, the flanges have been illustrated as being of such length astoprovide aguide for a cover device, to be described.

Adapted to cover and uncover the opening 1t), is a' relatively ilexiblecover device, illustrated as a whole by the numeral 15. The cover device15 may be formed of any desirable material and of course may be moldedof plastic orpossibly metal.- The cover device l5 as more clearlyillustrated in FIGURE 8 embodies a generally U-shaped member having aclosure wall 16 and with the wall 16 at'its upper and lower edges beingilanged at 17. The flanges 17 terminatein inwardly directed walls 18,that have their terminal edges-angled inwardly to form guide tongues 19.Theangularity of the guide tongues 19- are identical with the angularityof the grooves 14 of the flanges 13 and the spacing of the flanges i7 issuch as to have a frictional guiding engagement upon the marginalportions of the ilauges i3. The cover 15 at one or both ends is providedwith an actuating lip Ztl' whereby the cover may be manually shifted toand from a covering relation with resp-ect to the opening lil. Thecover'15, when formed of plastic Iwill obviously be flexible to such anextentthat the cover may be caused to traverse anges 13 to a positionWhere the opening l@ is fully exposed for either the insertion orremoval of the tennis racket. Where the ilangesl are co-extensive withthe plates 6, the additional extension'will obviously constitute more ofan ornamental appearance. The neck portion 8 may be provided adjacentits open end with a band or U-shape and preferably soft rubber seal,indicated at 21.

In the use of the device, when a tennis racket is adapted to be covered,the slide 15 is shiftable along the llanges l5 by the lip 2d, to thepoint closely adjacent to the end portion 9 of the wall 7. The tennisracket is then inserted at an angle through an opening lll to its fulldepth into the cover or, where the head of the tennis racket hasabutting engagement with the inner side of the wall 7, at which time thehandle 12 of the tennis racket is swung laterally to cause the neckportion between the handle 12 and the head ll to be fully engaged intothe throat 8. The cover l5 is then shifted along the flanges 13 to fullycover the opening l@ an-d to terminate at the end portion of the throat8. The engagement of the tongues 19 into the grooves 14, form a verydefinite tie between the upper and lower walls 6 that will prevent anytendency for the walls 6 in the area of the opening 10 to tlex away fromthe racket head 11. The inner dimensions of the cover are adapted toconform closely to the head 11 of the racket so that the plates 6 willhave a relatively snug engagernent with the upper and lower sides of theframe constituting the head l1 and, since the cov-er is formed ofrelatively still plastic material, the racket will be securelymaintained against any tendency to twist during storage or due toweather conditions and the use of the seal 21 avoids the possible entryof moisture into the cover that possibly might affect the cords of theracket head 11. The cover 15 has a relatively snug engagement with theflanges 13 and such also will eEectively seal the opening lll.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that a very novel type of moldedplastic and relatively rigid cover has been provided for tennis rackets,the device may be molded `from any suitable reinforced plastic such asthe well 'known standard epoxy-glass laminate and while the device hasbeen indicated as being formed of such plastic, the device couldobviously be formed of light weight metal, such as aluminum. The deviceis cheap to manufacture, is strong, durable and forms a most desirablecombined cover and press for the head portion of conventional tennisrackets.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited -the one sideand the side opening of 'side of the flanges and inwardly and into theflanges, the flanges sliding engagement in the rilanges, the slide atone end being provided with a right to the precise construction shown,but that changes are contemplated as readily all within the spirit ofthe invention as shall be determined by the scope of the subjoinedclaims.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and *desirev to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. A combined tennis racket cover and frame press that comprises amolded plastic housing of generally oval shape in top plan and thatconsists of a pair of dat plate Isections that are parallel and spacedapart in accordance with the thickness of the tennis racket head, theplates around their maior circumference being rigidly connected'together by an integral marginal wall, the housingk at one end beingprovided with a reduced throat extension that receives an adjacentportion of a handle for the racket head, the throat being open at itsend and one side, the

marginal wall at one side of the housing being omitted to -form anaccess opening whereby the head of the racket may be inserted into achamber that is formed by the plates andv the marginal wa11,a flexibleslide that is slidably connected to the plates whereby to cover andedges having anges that traverse the grooves, lthe flanges of the slideproviding an interlocking engagement withgthe grooves of the first namedllanges whereby to hold the plates against separation in the Aarea oftheaccess opening.

3. The structure according to claim 2, wherein the -flanges of theplates are outwardly extending and with formed upon the inner downwardlyinclined of the slide having a snug grooves of the first named thegrooves of the anges being angle lip whereby to manually actuate theslide.

4. The structure according to claim 1 wherein the throat extension isprovided with a compressible seal ring for engagement with the handle ofthe racket whereby to effectively seal the chamber when the racket headis housed therein.

5. A molded plastic combined cover and press for tennis rackets thatcomprises a cover that is shaped to conform to the curvature of the headportion of a tennis racket, the cover embodying a pair of spaced apartflat parallel walls of substantially oval shape that are connect` edtogether by an integral marginal wall, the spacing of the l'lat parallelwalls defining a chamber for the reception of the head of the racketwhereby the several walls will snugly engage the opposite faces of theracket and the Vmarginal edges of the racket head, the cover terminatingat one end in a reduced throat extension adapted to embrace a portion ofa tennis racket handle, the marginal wall upon one side of the coverbeing omitted to form an laccess opening whereby the head of the racketmay be inserted into the cover, the access opening also extendingthrough the throat extension and a slidable cover device for closing theaccess opening, the said cover being formed of relatively hard andnon-ilexible plastic calculated to prevent warping of the tennis racket,the slidable cover being formed of a relatively pliable plastic wherebyto permit the cover to slide and conform to the marginal Vedges of thecover.

i References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Y112,620,072 chase Mar. 8,1927 1,989,577 Watkins Ian. 29, 1935 FOREIGNPATENTS 579,197 Germany June 23, 1933 15,429 Australia Oct. '17, 1934

1. A COMBINED TENNIS RACKET COVER AND FRAME PRESS THAT COMPRISES AMOLDED PLASTIC HOUSING OF GENERALLY OVAL SHAPE IN TOP PLAN AND THATCONSISTS OF A PAIR OF FLAT PLATE SECTIONS THAT ARE PARALLEL AND SPACEDAPART IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE THICKNESS OF THE TENNIS RACKET HEAD, THEPLATES AROUND THEIR MAJOR CIRCUMFERENCE BEING RIGIDLY CONNECTED TOGETHERBY AN INTEGRAL MARGINAL WALL, THE HOUSING AT ONE END BEING PROVIDED WITHA REDUCED THROAT EXTENSION THAT RECEIVES AN ADJACENT PORTION OF A HANDLEFOR THE RACKET HEAD, THE THROAT BEING OPEN AT ITS END AND ONE SIDE, THEMARGINAL WALL AT ONE SIDE OF THE HOUSING BEING OMITTED TO FORM AN ACCESSOPENING WHEREBY THE HEAD OF THE RACKET MAY BE INSERTED INTO A CHAMBERTHAT IS FORMED BY THE PLATES AND THE MARGINAL WALL, A FLEXIBLE SLIDETHAT IS SLIDABLY CONNECTED TO THE PLATES WHEREBY TO COVER AND UNCOVERTHE ACCESS OPENING, THE SLIDE WHEN IN A COVERING POSITION BEINGCO-EXTENSIVE WITH THE ACCESS OPENING OF THE ONE SIDE AND THE SIDEOPENING OF THE THROAT.